Technology challenges in screening single gene disorders

The completion of the human genome project and the accelerated discovery of genes responsible for single gene disorders will allow for the preventive screening of carriers and patients. Accuracy and reliability of analytic tests are major demands on technologies used in a diagnostic screening environment. The consistency of results and the potential of multiplexing suggest mass spectrometry as the method of choice for large-scale genetic screening programs. The added ability to analyze other large molecules such as peptides and proteins further underlines the versatility and usefulness of this technology. We describe the use of mass spectrometry for screening of sickle cell disease at the level of DNA and protein. Conclusion: Analytic methods are needed for large-scale screening and diagnostic applications that are highly accurate, fully automated and cost-effective. The precise measurement of molecular weights and the use of high fidelity enzymes to produce diagnostic products make mass spectrometry the method of choice for DNA and protein screening procedures.